by Knox, Barry
Gideon rolled over and picked up Anna and began reading Xia’s personal file.
Gunny Michael Xia was a career marine with forty years of service under his belt. He had participated in just about every war or military operation on Earth, on other planets, and in space since he’d enlisted.
Xia had been in trouble several times. His file reported that he had been court-martialed five times. Added to the murder charges Manelly had told him about, Xia had also been charged on separate occasions with robbery, insubordination, drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and conduct unbecoming a noncommissioned officer. Xia had been demoted several times but had always managed to get his rank back as a result of his actions in combat. He’d been awarded several metals including the Silver Star.
Gideon finished reading the file at 0215 and concluded that he’d have to keep a close eye on Xia and talk with Captain Neubauer. He put Anna away and went back to sleep.
Station Viking, Mars
0345—February 15, 2372
A knock on the door awoke Gideon.
“Who is it?” Gideon asked as he got up and walked to the door.
“It’s Gunny Xia, sir.”
Gideon opened the door, and Xia stood there dressed in his white jumpsuit. Gideon thought Xia had somehow found out he’d reviewed his service record and was there to confront him.
“Sir, Captain Neubauer was just notified that we’ll be departing for Phobos at zero four thirty. He wanted me to let you know personally that we’re forming up in the enlisted men’s quarters and for you to be there ASAP.”
“Thanks, Gunny. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Xia left, and Gideon dressed, feeling silly that he thought that Xia had come to confront him about his file. Anyway, it was common for the executive officer to review his men’s records.
Gideon arrived at the enlisted men’s quarters just before Captain Neubauer arrived. Neubauer had a marine staff sergeant and a private, who were stationed at Viking Station, in tow. Both were dressed in full battle armor and carried weapons.
“Are we ready, Gunny? Captain Neubauer asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Staff Sergeant Norniskie and Private Homer will be escorting us to our shuttle,” Captain Neubauer said.
Norniskie led the way while Homer brought up the rear. The marines in the middle felt and looked like prisoners as they walked to the shuttle bay wearing white jumpsuits and being escorted by an armed detail. Their escort took them through several corridors and eventually arrived at an air lock guarded by two more marines.
Gideon and his fellow marines entered the air lock and saw the other members of the crew. They were standing beside a new marine assault orbital VTOL.
“Wow! Would ya take a look at that?” Tidwell said as he carefully looked at the assault VTOL from end to end. “Wish I could take that out for a spin.”
“You will, but not today,” Captain Neubauer said. “It’s ours, and we’re taking it to Phobos.”
“Why can’t I pilot her to Phobos?” Tidwell asked.
“Captain Bowser has the honors but did say she wants you to take the copilot seat,” Neubauer said, paused, and continued. “Don’t just stand there, Tidwell. Report to the captain!”
Tidwell, like a kid about to play with a new toy, took off to find Mary. The rest of the marines started walking toward the VTOL as they laughed at Tidwell.
“Sergeant Kindle, you’ll be acting crew chief,” Captain Neubauer said when they had joined the other members of the crew.
“Yes, sir,” Kindle said and headed to the VTOL cargo bay.
Gideon noted the new assault VTOL definitely used stealth technology. It had the traditional, sharp triangular and rectangular corners; the fuselage was flat, shaped like a stingray, and painted with black radio frequency and laser-absorption paint. Standard electronic warfare antennae protruded from the top of the fuselage, and an engine was embedded in each “stingray” wing.
There were also changes no one had seen before. Overall it was bigger and had one triangle-shaped vertical stabilizer, which replaced the traditional two vertical stabilizers on the tail. A pyramid-shaped module was mounted under the nose that looked like a black hole projector (BHP), though only starships had those devices.
“Load up!” Sergeant Kindle yelled at the crew standing around the assault VTOL.
The crew lined up and boarded. Gideon again boarded last per Captain Neubauer’s instructions to make sure everyone got aboard. After he stowed his duffel bag, he sat by Petty Officer Joseph Sipes.
“Sir, I didn’t think an orbital VTOL could travel as far as Phobos,” Joseph said.
“I didn’t either, Sipes. I don’t know how we’ll get there using this ship,” Gideon said to the big man.
A second later Mary came on the ship’s intercom. “Our VTOL call sign is officially designated as Marine Assault One, but I allowed Sergeant Tidwell to name the ship since he’ll be the marine pilot. He named the ship Bernice after his fiancée.” Mary paused as the crew laughed. “We’re cleared to depart, and we’ll arrive at Phobos in approximately two hours and twenty-three minutes.”
The crew muttered among themselves, showing their skepticism about how they could get there so quickly in a standard, orbital VTOL.
“And, by the way, Bernice has a BHP which uses the new Harper Power System!” Mary continued with a hint of excitement.
“Now we know,” Joseph said with a smile.
Gideon returned the smile and wished he was on the flight deck to see the projected black hole. According to the briefings at Mount Mitchell, it was supposed to be spectacular. Hopefully he’d be able to see it when the Stephen Hawking departed on their mission.
Ten minutes later Bernice had engaged the BHP and was cruising in the time-speed dimension toward Phobos.
“Where you from, Sipes?” Gideon asked to pass the time.
“Mississippi, sir,” Joseph said.
“Where in Mississippi?
“Moss Point, sir. It’s a few miles from the Gulf.”
“Wife or girlfriend?”
“No, sir.”
“Does your mom and dad still live there?”
“No, sir. My mom, dad, brothers and sisters were killed in a boating accident when I was five. My great-grandma raised me, and she died a few months before I joined the navy,” Joseph said and then asked, “How about you, sir?”
Gideon didn’t want to answer but felt obligated since he’d started the conversation.
“Not much to tell, Sipes. I’m from Norfolk, Virginia, and went through about eight foster homes when I was a kid. I got tired of being moved around, and when I was sixteen I ran away. I never knew my biological parents.” Gideon paused to think about his past for a second and continued. “I lived on the streets for a year, did odd jobs here and there, trying to survive. Eventually I started running with the wrong crowd. The week after I turned seventeen, I was arrested for burglary. I went before a judge and, like most kids my age, was given a choice: jail time or military enlistment. So I joined the marines.”
“If you enlisted at seventeen, sir, how did you become an officer?” Joseph asked puzzled.
“A few weeks into boot camp, my platoon took an IQ test, and I scored a one seventy-five. My commander called me into his office and asked if I’d like to go to Annapolis and become an officer. I was so sick of Parris Island I jumped at the chance to leave,” Gideon said with a laugh.
“So I guess that means you’re really smart, sir.”
“The corps keeps telling me that, but I don’t think I’m any smarter than any other grunt. I still think they mixed my score up with someone else’s,” Gideon smiled.
Joseph looked ahead, deep in thought for a few seconds, and said, “Sir, I think I figured out why me and you got assigned this mission.”
“How’s that, Sipes?”
“Well, sir, you’re smart and can probably do about anything that needs doing. Instead of me being smart, I’m really big and strong and can pi
ck up a lot of weight if I have to.”
Gideon smiled at Joseph’s conclusion.
“And there’s one more thing, sir—we both don’t have any family,” Joseph said and looked straight ahead again.
“Sipes, I think you’re right. And they call me a genius!” Gideon said and slapped the big man on the back.
Phobos, Mars
0823—February 15, 2372
Bernice arrived at Phobos, and Mary placed her in low orbit around the moon, as instructed before they left Mars. She had also been given a communications-encryption key code to enter into the communications system when orbit was established. She entered the sixteen-digit number and then selected hyperchannel secure communications mode to use the key.
“Phobos Control…Phobos Control, this is Marine Assault One,” Mary transmitted using her flight helmet microphone.
“Marine Assault One, this is Phobos Control. Welcome to Phobos,” a woman’s voice responded. “You’re cleared to land. We’re transmitting an approach and landing vector to your ship’s computer. Enjoy the ride down.”
“Thank you, Phobos Control…Marine Assault One out,” Mary responded, then switched to the ship’s intercom system. “We’ve been given landing clearance. Sergeant Kindle, make sure everything is secure for landing.”
***
Kindle did a quick walk through the cargo bay, checking hatches and warning indicators. He finally had everyone check his or her safety harness, then sat back down and strapped himself in.
A few seconds later Bernice began its landing procedure. Bernice’s computer was not only given the approach and landing vectors to Phobos but also instructed to perform a combat-assault landing.
Bernice’s engines fired to increase speed, and orbital, directional retro rockets fired to push her down to the moon’s surface. After a few seconds Gideon felt uneasy, like riding in a ship that was falling out of control as its speed and the gravitational pull from Phobos increased. It felt like being strapped to a rock and being thrown off a cliff as his stomach worked its way into his throat.
Seat harnesses held the crew in place as Bernice started to vibrate violently. Gideon and the marines knew immediately what was happening because they’d trained for assault landings before. Most of the sailors and scientists, however, didn’t have a clue.
“Sir, are we going to crash?” Joseph yelled to Gideon with eyes as big as saucers.
“No, Sipes. For some reason we’re performing a combat-assault landing,” Gideon yelled back. “Look straight ahead and don’t move your head from side to side. It also helps if you close your eyes.”
Gideon had been trained in several orbital-assault landings. They were fast and dangerous—and made people feel sicker than they could ever imagine. The landings were also the safest way to land in a combat environment. As far as Gideon knew, they weren’t going into combat, and he didn’t know why they were landing this way.
As the ship continued to fall, the enlisted marines began to yell and laugh out loud. It was tradition to do this, especially when there were other passengers on board who had never experienced a combat-assault landing. The reaction served three purposes: first, it helped them deal with the sick feeling; second, it calmed the fear of hurtling into a planet or moon at five times the speed of sound; and third, it scared the first timers so much that it actually helped prevent some from throwing up.
“The ship’s computer is making the landing,” Mary said over the intercom. “Not sure why we’re on an assault landing, but the ship is under control,” Mary said, trying to calm the passengers who were concerned.
***
Mary watched the surface of Phobos coming closer and closer. She looked out of the canopy and could see a large crater below. The altitude indicator was quickly decreasing.
“Sir, shouldn’t we have begun our deceleration by now?” Tidwell said, using the communications link between pilot and copilot helmets. His voice sounded worried.
Mary looked again at the fast-approaching surface and then at the altimeter. The altimeter said they had plenty of distance before starting their deceleration, but the surface looked a lot closer.
“Looks like we might have a problem, Tidwell. I’m going to take control!”
Mary tried to take manual control, but the flight system rejected her request. She tried several more times, but all requests were rejected.
“Tidwell, I can’t get manual control. You try…and make it quick!” Mary said, almost in a yell.
Tidwell tried and was also rejected.
“I’m being rejected too, Captain. What’re we going to do, sir?” This time Tidwell was almost yelling.
“Nothing we can do!” Mary said as she prepared for impact.
Bernice continued her combat-assault landing and looked to be only a few thousand meters above the surface. Mary was convinced they were going to crash.
A second later Bernice struck what looked like the surface but continued down. A few seconds later the ship began its deceleration using landing thrusters. Surprised, Mary looked out the canopy as the ship passed through the surface and was suddenly engulfed in darkness.
“Sir, I think we just flew through a hologram of some kind!” Tidwell said, voice confused.
Suddenly Bernice fired her thrusters again at full force, and the crew felt themselves being pushed down into their seats. As blood rushed from their heads, they were on the verge of blacking out when a second later Bernice cut thruster power, leveled off, deployed landing gear and slowly descended. The ship landed, making a loud metal-to-metal clank with its landing gear.
As Mary and Tidwell stared out of the canopy, trying to figure out where they were, bright lights revealed the ship had landed in a gigantic landing bay. Overhead, massive doors were slowly closing.
“Captain Bowser, this is Admiral Corbin,” Mary heard through her flight helmet speakers. “I apologize for not letting you know about the assault landing and the holographic surface. It was necessary and will be explained to you shortly. Please remain in your ship until the landing bay has pressurized.”
Mary selected the ship’s intercom. “We’ve landed. Remain seated until the landing bay has pressurized.”
***
A few minutes later they disembarked. Still in their white jumpsuits with duffel bags strapped to their shoulders, they looked around at the enormous landing bay.
“Welcome to Phobos Naval Station!” a voice boomed several meters away, getting the crew’s attention. An admiral dressed in a navy-blue jumpsuit and two marines dressed in combat armor approached the group. The crew snapped to attention and saluted the admiral. The admiral returned their salutes as he continued walking toward them.
“Captain Bowser?” the admiral asked, searching the gang of unmarked white jumpsuits.
“Yes, sir,” Mary said as she stepped out of the crowd and approached him.
“It’s great to meet you,” he said as he extended his hand for her to shake.
“Thank you, sir. I’m happy to be here in…in one piece.”
“Again I apologize for the assault landing. It’s a mandatory security precaution when a ship lands directly here from orbit. There may be stealth spy satellites out there that might try and record your descent vector or may have cracked our hyperchannel communications. That’s why we didn’t let you know you’d be coming down so fast. Now let’s get you and your crew out of the landing bay and get some breakfast,” he added with enthusiasm.
Part Three: Starship Stephen Hawking
Briefing Room D4, Phobos Naval Station
1030—February 15, 2372
After breakfast, the entire Mission Origin View crew was escorted to a briefing room. The size of the room was adequate, though some of the marines had to stand due to lack of seating. Admiral Corbin and Mary stood in front of the room with a communications holographic display system mounted on the wall behind them.
A sudden momentarily loud sound of static filled the room as the holographic display system came to
life, projecting Senator Rimms and Admiral Frank. They were seated at a table in the Mount Mitchell USECC facility. Conversations among the crew stopped, and all eyes were fixed on the hologram.
“Glad to see you’ve all made it to Phobos,” Senator Rimms said. “I hope you had a good trip. The admiral and I want to speak to all of you for a few moments before you begin your three days of intensive training. As you were told here at Mount Mitchell, each of you was picked specifically for this mission because of your skills and experience. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of this mission and the impact it’ll have on mankind for many years to come. Admiral Frank, anything you’d like to add?”
“If there’s anything you need, please let Admiral Corbin know,” Admiral Frank said. “He’s there to make sure you complete your training on schedule. If anything comes up that might delay the schedule, or if you discover something that you might need on the mission while training, let him know. He and Captain Bowser will go over the training schedule in a moment.” Admiral Frank paused and, with a smile on his face, continued. “Also, when the meeting is over, get aboard the Stephen Hawking, get out of those white jumpsuits, and put on your mission uniforms. Good luck!”
Hand claps and cheers erupted as the hologram disappeared.
After a few seconds, Admiral Corbin and Mary began briefing the crew on the training schedule.
SRS Stephen Hawking Docking Bay, Phobos Naval Station
1300—February 15, 2372
The crew, escorted by Admiral Corbin, entered another enormous docking bay and saw the SRS Stephen Hawking for the first time.
Colored black and about the size of a small frigate-class vessel, the ship sat on its massive landing gear. It was rectangular shaped with sharp angles on its sides, ends, top, and bottom to make it stealthy. Other than the landing gear, only the BHP pyramid on top protruded from its sleek surface.
“Not as big as I thought it would be,” Gault commented to no one in particular. The rest of the crew just stared at the uniquely shaped ship and smiled at his remark.
